Building structure



y 1, 1941- R. w. MOLAUGHLIN, JR 2,247,886,

BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed 001;. 26. 1938 Patented July 1, 1941 UN iTE STATES PATENT QFFICE;

BUILDING STRUCTURE Robert W; McLaughlin,.Jr.', Be'dford; N: Y., as-

signor to American Houses; 1110., New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware a Application October 26, 1938, Serial No. 236,993

10 Claims. v (01; 204)- This invention relates to building. structures and. more specifically to a. prefabricated. building unit.

In general, it is an object of the. invention to provide an article of the character described;

which will efficiently perform the. purposes for which it is intended, which. is simple and econome ical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and: which can be readily manufactured and. assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a building unit which has a periphery of simple geometric form but which interlocks with adjacent forms; whichhas only the usual building elements but which, due toaslight displacement of those elements, forms a rigid combination with similar adjacent units; and .to provide such a unit which-may be prefabricated.

Other objects of the invention will. in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features,

property and the relation of elements whichv will be exemplified in-the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For afuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building unit embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a slightly modified detail of a part of the device shownin- Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a modification of the device shown in Fig. l; and I Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modified detail of a part of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Abuilding unit is contemplated by the present invention which may be built at a factoryand then joined to other similar units. at the place where the building is being erectedto form walls, ceilings, etc. The units are interchangeable and interlock with each other without complicated forms. 7

In the drawing, Hldenotes aplurality of stud.- likemembers. They are part of a. wall unit.

They. correspond to joistmembers in floor units and to rafters in ceiling units. They are preferably spaced parallel and of similar shape. There may be a. .minimum of two. Attached to. the studs ID are sills 12 which extend across theends of the studs and preferably atv right. anglesthereto. The sills reach only partly past one of the edge studs so as to leave the end of the edge stud exposed, as at M. They extend beyond: the stud at. theother side of the unit, as shown at 16..

If, desired, a pair of ribbons I 8 may extend from one outer stud element to toand past the-other outer stud element. They preferably are parallel to the sillsl2, are spaced from each other, are each. at the same distance as.- the otherfrom any particular sill, and seat into notches. 20in the stud; elements so that the ribbons are flush with the stud elements. The ribbons, like the sills, extend; only partially past one edge stud I0 and extend beyond the other edge stud. The notches 2-0 in the one edge stud are therefore left partially unoccupied.

There may be other-ribbons H8 near one end of theunit. They, too, are flush with the studs and-h ve the samedisplacement described above. They may be used for attaching baseboards, mouldings, etc. If desired, pieces 22 of material may be inserted between the ribbons It so that they may provide a better hold for nails, screws, andv the like than would the relatizvely thin ribbons H 8. alone provide.

When successive units are spaced edgetoedge in a building, the extending portions. l6 of the sills and ribbons fit against the. exposed edges 14 of thestuds of the next unit and fit into the otherwisev unoccupied parts of the notches 2001?; the edge stud of the next unit.

InFig 2 there isshown the projecting portions i6 of, the ribbons; I8; Their edges are beyeled as. at 24; in order tofacilitate their insertion into the unoccupied notches of the next element,

In Fig. 3 there is; shown a unit similar to the unit shownin Fig. 1 with the exception that the unitis provided with a panel 26 which entirely covers. one side of the unit and whichv is secured tothe remaining portions thereofin any desired fashion. It, too, may reach only partially past one stud l0 as at 281, and extend beyond the opposite stud I0, as at 3.0. The portion 30.of. one unit fits into the corner formed by the; portion ;2;8 and edge stud ill of the next unit in a fashion similar to the interlocking of the ribbons andsills with adjacent units. If desired, heat and sound insulating material. 21 may be carried in the troughsformed by panel; 26, studs H1 and sills, I2.

In; this; type ofunit there need be but one ribbox; [8 for any given; position along the studs.

[0, as. thev Panel 26 adds. ufiicient rigidity. If desired, the insulating material may be held in pla e. with. or; wit out. panel 26, by-a111ysuita le 2 means such as wiring 32 which is carried back and forth between and attached to stud elements 10.

Fig. 4 shows, in enlarged detail, the extending portions of the panel and ribbon in connection with the edge stud It).

If desired, one of the stud elements It, and more specifically that element beyond which the sills, ribbons and panels extend, may be thinner than the remaining studs of the assembly, as it is intended to abut against a stud of an adjacent assembly, and hence need not function as a structural supporting element.

If desired, all the elements employed in the various assemblages described may be of Wood.

The foregoing construction enables even unskilled labor to join wall units and all kinds of adjacent units with celerity and assurance. The forms of the elements are about as simple as they could possibly be. The entire combination of parts is strikingly elemental and, at the same time, quite efiicient. I

' Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising a series of supporting stud-like elements, a plurality-of other supporting elements forming a generally planar, skeleton, frame structure with said stud-like elements, each of said other elements reaching past only a part of the first of said series and forming its own notch and extending beyond the last of said series whereby said unit may be fitted between other similar units, fittingly receiving the extending elements from one adjacent unit where its own elements fail to reach and fitting its own extending elements against the other adjacent unit where the other elements of the latter fail to reach, each of said notches having a plurality of surfaces perpendicular to the general plane of the structure.

2. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising a series of stud-like elements, a plurality of spaced elements forming a, lattice with said stud-like elements, each of said spaced elements reaching past only a part of the first of said series and forming its own notch therewith and extending beyond the last of said series whereby said unit may be fitted between other similar units, fittingly receiving the extending elements from one adjacent unit where its own elements fail to reach and fitting its own extending elements against the other adjacent unit where the spaced elements of the latter fail to reach, each of said notches having a plurality of surfaces perpendicular to the general plane of the lattice;

3. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising two pluralities of crossing, building-supporting elements, all of the elements of one of said pluralities extending only partially past a boundary element of the other plurality and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality, said unit having two, spaced,

of the elements of one of said pluralities extending only partially past a boundary element of the other plurality and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality and forming thereby and therewith a plurality of spaced notches each having surfaces perpendicular to the general plane of said unit and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality, and each having an outer surface co-planar with a surface of each of said other plurality.

5. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising two pluralities of crossing elements, all of the elements of one of said pluralities extending only partially past a boundary element of the other plurality and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality, and

each having two outer surfaces fiush with, and

facing in the same direction as, two outer surfaces of each element of said other plurality.

6. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another andwhich in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising two pluralities of crossing elements, all of the elements of one of said pluralities extending only partially past a boundary element of the other plurality and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality, and each having an outer surface flush with an outer surface of each element of said other plurality, said boundary element of said other plurality extending only to a point short of the outer surface of a boundary element of said one plurality.

7. In a combination of the character described. a plurality of prefabricated building units, each of said units transmitting stress between itself and an adjacent unit and being, with adjacent units, self-supporting, and each of said units comprising two pluralities of crossing elements, all of the elements of one of said pluralities extending only partially past a boundary element of the other plurality and reaching beyond another boundary element of said other plurality, and each having an outer surface flush with an outer surface of each element of said other plurality mits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising a plurality of supporting stud-like elements, a plurality of other supporting elements forming a skeleton, frame structure with said stud-like elements, each of said other elements reaching past only a part of the first of the firstmentioned plurality of elements and extending beyond the last of said plurality whereby said unit may be fitted between other similar units, fittingly receiving the extending elements from one adjacent unit where its own elements fail to reach and fitting its own extending elements against the other adjacent unit where the other elements of the latter fail to reach, said unit having two spaced planar faces, each of said faces having a plane associated therewith, one of said planes being determined by surfaces of the elements of one of said pluralities of elements, and the other of said planes being determined by other surfaces of the elements of said plurality of elements.

9. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising a plurality of supporting stud-like elements, a plurality of other supporting elements forming a skeleton, frame structure with said stud-like elements, each of said other elements reaching past only a part of the first of the firstmentioned plurality of elements and extending beyond the last of said plurality whereby said unit may be fitted beween other similar units, fittingly receiving the extending elements from one adjacent unit where its own elements fail to reach and fitting its own extending elements against the other adjacent unit where the other elements of the latter fail to reach, said unit having two spaced planar faces, each of said faces having a plane associated therewith, surfaces of elements of each of said pluralities of elements lying in each of said planes.

10. A prefabricated building unit, which transmits stress from one part of a building frame to another and which in combination with other similar units is self supporting, said unit comprising a plurality of stud-like elements, a plurality of spaced elements forming a lattice with said stud-like elements, each of said spaced ele ments reaching past only a part of the first of said first-mentioned plurality of elements and extending beyond the last of said plurality whereby said unit may be fitted between other similar units, fittingly receiving the extending elements from one adjacent unit where its own elements fail to reach and fitting its own extending elements against the other adjacent unit where the spaced elements of the latter fail to reach, said unit having two spaced planar faces, each of said faces having a plane associated therewith, one of said planes being determined by surfaces of the elements of one of said pluralities of elements and the other of said planes being determined by other surfaces of the elements of said one plurality of elements.

ROBERT W. McLAUGHLIN, JR. 

